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The skinny: The Pacers have been eyeing two point guards -- D.J. Augustin and Russell Westbrook -- for a while. But now that Pacers are landing T.J. Ford, they can afford to look elsewhere.
Kosta Koufos, Darrell Arthur and Robin Lopez are three bigs who could entice Indiana. Koufos and Arthur excel on offense, while Lopez can get it done on defense.
One dark horse is Brandon Rush, a great fit in the type of offense Pacers coach Jim O'Brien likes to run.

The skinny: Sacramento will go nuts with excitement if Bayless is still on the board here. With Beno Udrih expected to sign elsewhere, the Kings need a point guard in the worst way and would be thrilled if Bayless or Augustin were to fall to them. Bayless could go as high as No. 4, but he could also slide this far.
Another option for the Kings is Roy Hibbert. He wouldn't be an upside pick, but he could step in right away and contribute. They also are big fans of Donte' Greene.

The skinny: It seems unlikely the Blazers will actually keep this pick. They are loaded with young players and have a history of draft day activity on the trade market.
As noted above, the Blazers are quite possibly on track to acquire the No. 10 pick and take D.J. Augustin.
Also, the team has been eyeing Joe Alexander and Russell Westbrook, and hoping to move up to get one of them -- but so far, the the Blazers haven't found the right deal.
But let's assume for the moment that Portland does keep the pick. For the past several weeks we've had Brandon Rush in this spot. But the more I talk to the Blazers, the more I think they may not be able to pass on Randolph, a guy with high lottery talent who slipped because teams will have to be patient with him.

The skinny: If Kosta Koufos is on the board, his combination of size and offensive skill would be a nice complement to Andris Biedrins' defensive and rebounding prowess.
If Koufos is off the board, Golden State will probably be deciding between Robin Lopez (if available), Jason Thompson and Donte' Greene. While Greene doesn't fit a need, he may be the best talent of the three. His game is reminiscent of Rashard Lewis, and he may be too good for Golden State to pass up.

The skinny: The Suns have been eyeing Rush, a college veteran who can step in and play the 2 and the 3. Rush can hit open shots, play defense and stay out of the way of the Suns' stars.
Other candidates: The Suns have major interest in Mario Chalmers and Robin Lopez, and Anthony Randolph would be very tough to pass up.
But the future is now in Phoenix, and Rush seems like the guy.

The skinny: At some point, you feel like you can roll the dice and take a flier on a young talent. The Sixers, who are in the middle of rebuilding, can probably afford to take the risk. Jordan has as much upside as anyone in the draft. He's huge, athletic, and resembles, superficially, Dwight Howard.
The problem is that Jordan doesn't know how to play yet. He is a big-time project who could take 2 to 3 years to develop. If he turns into Andrew Bynum great move. If he turns into Patrick Bryant ... yikes.

The skinny: The Pacers did just land T.J. Ford but they also know, given his injury history, that they'll need some help in the backcourt.
Chalmers ability to play both backcourt positions, combined with his defensive prowess, make him a great pick here..

Re: chad Ford Mock Draft v. 7.0

Re: chad Ford Mock Draft v. 7.0

No way we pass on Bayless to draft a stiff that can shoot. Sure, we need some help up front, but our most glaring weakness right now is athleticism, ability to break down defenses with penetration, and perimeter defense. Bayless helps with at least two of those areas. I think he'll be gone before 11, though.

I could also see us taking Robin Lopez at 17 as Foster's eventual replacement in the rebound/defense/hustle department. Bonus for Lopez being a decent shotblocker as well as having the size of a true center.

Re: chad Ford Mock Draft v. 7.0

I don't think WE pass on Bayless. I keep coming back to the old, "Donnie never does what they expect."

That means it won't be Galinari or Westbrook. Don't want Westbrook - I know nothing about Galinari. But I can't see passing on Bayless. And if he isn't there I think it's Gordon or Alexander. Guess we'll see.

Re: chad Ford Mock Draft v. 7.0

No different at Toronto, but then I don't expect to see anything change his 2nd time around with the Pacers either.

I don't think Maceo will get big minutes by any stretch. That said, I hope he gets a shot at some consistent minutes. The one things he's got going for him is our current tempo/style seems like it is more conducive to his athleticism.

Re: chad Ford Mock Draft v. 7.0

I would be shocked if we don't draft Arthur, Speights or Randolph with one of our two picks. We HAVE TO draft a future replacement for JO!

I agree. Speights is the most viable option. He has the size and skill to cover what we lose offensively with JO. Arthur really does not have the size. Not only is he Ike length. But he is 220 tops. If Randolph drops to 17 and Speights is off the board, then I would draft Randolph.

The skinny: With the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls select ...

No one expects any surprises on Thursday. Rose has been the popular choice for weeks and his selection has seemed to be a foregone conclusion for the past two weeks.

I think it's a wise choice. While Beasley is an offensive beast, Rose gives the Bulls leadership, athleticism, defense and a winning attitude. He'll make everyone in Chicago better and quickly help turn around a franchise in desperate need of a shot in the arm.

The skinny: The Heat have given up hope that somehow Rose falls to them at No. 2. They've been working the phones for the past few days trying to find a deal that brings them back O.J. Mayo and some future cap relief (in particular, they're trying to move Mark Blount). As of Wednesday night, they hadn't found a partner.

If the Sonics, Clippers or Grizzlies can't step to the table, the Heat could take Beasley and trade him to Minnesota for Mayo and a draft pick. The Wolves own the Heat's 2009 first-round pick, and I'm sure Pat Riley would like it back.

But if they can't find a trade they like, the Heat will face a tough dilemma: Whether to grab the guy they want for Riley's system and philosophy (Mayo) or take the superior talent (Beasley).

My gut says that Riley will come to his senses and take Beasley at No. 2. No offense to Mayo, who's also a great talent, but Beasley is the right pick for Miami.

The skinny: The Wolves remain the most difficult team to peg right now.

They continue to cross their fingers that Beasley falls to them here directly or by trade. If he doesn't, they have some difficult decisions to make.

Mayo has the most talent of any player remaining on the board, but he doesn't fill a need -- the Wolves are loaded with young perimeter players.

It sounds like GM Kevin McHale is in love with Kevin Love, but the Wolves think No. 3 is a little high for Love. So do they try to trade down to get him while picking up another asset? If they do, they risk another team taking Love, such as Memphis. But the Grizzlies appear to be leaning toward Eric Gordon at No. 5.

If he slips past No. 5, the Wolves could make a deal with the Knicks or Clippers to bring back a player, some cap relief or a future first-round pick.

The skinny: Seattle GM Sam Presti is notoriously tough to read, but sources say it appears that Brook Lopez, Russell Westbrook, and Eric Gordon are in the mix for the Sonics.

Seattle has been talking to other teams about moving down a few spots, with an eye toward drafting one of those three. But with the Knicks' strong interest in Westbrook and Gordon at No. 6 and the Clippers looking at Westbrook, Gordon and Lopez at No. 7, the Sonics could lose out on the guy they really want. So they might just end up keeping their pick.

I think Presti's heart is with Westbrook but his head will tell him to take Lopez. With recent lottery picks Robert Swift and Mouhamed Sene looking like busts so far, the Sonics have a huge hole in the middle.

The skinny: The Grizzlies have also been talking trade with a number of teams. On Monday we reported that the Knicks were talking to Memphis about swapping David Lee and the expiring contract of Malik Rose for the No. 5 pick and Brian Cardinal's awful contract.

However, as of Wednesday night, those talks appeared dead. According to sources, Lee's representatives sent a message to the Grizzlies that Lee didn't want to play in Memphis and would refuse to sign a free agent deal with the Grizzlies next summer.

We had Danilo Gallinari going to the Knicks in our first mock draft, but dropped him when a Suns source said that Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni wasn't a big fan. Apparently Gallinari's workout, combined with some research by the Knicks, has changed that opinion. Gallinari has worked out well everywhere and it sounds like the Knicks are comfortable with him here.

Russell Westbrook is also a strong possibility if he is on the board. Ditto for Eric Gordon. Joe Alexander is the dark horse -- the Knicks' brass watched him work out for a second time and really likes him.

The skinny: The Clippers have been trying to move up in the draft to get Mayo or Gordon. There's a chance that they can pull it off if the Wolves or Sonics are willing to bet that the guy they are targeting (see above) will be available at No. 7. If those teams are open to a deal, then the Clippers are willing to trade a future first-round pick to move up. As it turns out, it appears that Love will be available at No. 7 -- and Lopez, too, if the Clippers move to No. 4.

If the Clippers don't move up, they might have a very tough decision between Jerryd Bayless, Russell Westbrook and D.J. Augustin. Bayless is a scorer who could eventually become a Chauncey Billups-type point guard. Westbrook is a defensive stopper whose great athleticism lets him make plays all over the court -- and he's a great team guy. Augustin is the purest point guard in the draft -- he can shoot, he creates on offense, and he wins.

I don't know which way the Clippers will go, but I'm pretty sure that the pick will be one of those three.

The skinny: Alexander is a high-energy forward who impressed GM John Hammond and new coach Scott Skiles with his toughness and grit. That's exactly what the Bucks are going for right now. Hammond wants to change the culture in Milwaukee, and Alexander has that capability. He also fits a need. The Bucks will be shopping small forward Bobby Simmons (along with just about everyone else) hard this summer.

It sounds like Anthony Randolph and Kevin Love are the other two players the Bucks are looking at closely here. But Randolph is further away than Alexander right now, and Love isn't a great fit for the Bucks' frontcourt.

Alexander is still a work in progress, but if he figures things out, he has a chance to be really special.

PICK TEAM PLAYER VITALS

Charlotte

Kevin Love Position: PF
Height: 6-10
Weight: 255
Age: 19
School: UCLA

The skinny: If the draft plays out this way, Charlotte is going to be really happy. Love would bring the Bobcats toughness, rebounding, basketball IQ and the ability to step in and contribute right away. He is a tough rebounder and a skilled low-post scorer, and a Larry Brown type of player -- he knows how to "play the right way." While he doesn't have ideal size for a post player, he knows his way around the basket.

The dark horse here is Anthony Randolph, who is very high on Charlotte's board, according to sources.

The skinny: If Augustin is the pick, he probably won't be wearing a Nets hat for long.

The Nets appear to have three players in mind -- Kevin Love, Brook Lopez and Danilo Gallinari. If they are off the board, as we project here, then look for New Jersey to make a trade with Portland that would bring the Nets the No. 13 pick, the No. 33 pick, and Jarrett Jack for the No. 10 pick and Maurice Ager. In that case, the Blazers would probably want Augustin.

If that trade happens, look for the Nets to take Robin Lopez with the No. 13 pick.

The skinny: Sacramento will go nuts with excitement if Bayless is still on the board here. With Beno Udrih expected to sign elsewhere, the Kings need a point guard in the worst way and would be thrilled if Bayless or Augustin were to fall to them. Bayless could go as high as No. 4, but he could also slide this far.

Another option for the Kings is Roy Hibbert. He wouldn't be an upside pick, but he could step in right away and contribute. They also are big fans of Donte' Greene.

The skinny: It seems unlikely the Blazers will actually keep this pick. They are loaded with young players and have a history of draft day activity on the trade market.

As noted above, the Blazers are quite possibly on track to acquire the No. 10 pick and take D.J. Augustin.

Also, the team has been eyeing Joe Alexander and Russell Westbrook, and hoping to move up to get one of them -- but so far, the the Blazers haven't found the right deal.

But let's assume for the moment that Portland does keep the pick. For the past several weeks we've had Brandon Rush in this spot. But the more I talk to the Blazers, the more I think they may not be able to pass on Randolph, a guy with high lottery talent who slipped because teams will have to be patient with him.

The skinny: If Kosta Koufos is on the board, his combination of size and offensive skill would be a nice complement to Andris Biedrins' defensive and rebounding prowess.

If Koufos is off the board, Golden State will probably be deciding between Robin Lopez (if available), Jason Thompson and Donte' Greene. While Greene doesn't fit a need, he may be the best talent of the three. His game is reminiscent of Rashard Lewis', and he may be too good for Golden State to pass up.

The skinny: At this point in the first round, you can roll the dice and take a flier on a young talent -- especially a team like the Sixers, who are in the middle of rebuilding.

Jordan has as much upside as anyone in the draft. He's huge and athletic, and he resembles, superficially, Dwight Howard.

The problem is that Jordan doesn't know how to play yet. He is a big-time project who could take two to three years to develop. If he turns into Andrew Bynum, great move. If he turns into Patrick O'Bryant ... yikes.

The skinny: The Wizards could lose free agent Antawn Jamison to free agency this summer. In case they do, they might want Arthur, a player who in a lot of ways is Jamison's clone -- a face-up 4 who runs the floor and can score in a variety of ways.

The skinny: The Cavs need help inside and are hoping that Koufos falls to them. If he doesn't, they'll still do big. Lopez is kind of a clone of Anderson Varejao. But no one believes Varejao will be in Cleveland much longer.

The skinny: If the Nets grab a center with their first pick, they might look to add some finesse with their second pick. Anderson's ability to shoot the basketball and rebound could make him a good replacment for Nenad Krstic.

The skinny: The Magic need a 2 guard and they like Courtney Lee. But they are also very thin up front and could use big bodies to help out in the paint. I hear the draft room is split between Lee and Speights. At the end of the day I think they'll go with Lee.

The skinny: Batum went into a workout with the Spurs on Wednesday and then disappeared off the grid. His medical reports never came out. His agent didn't return calls. I think the Spurs may have wrapped him up.

The skinny: Thompson could go as high as 14. He'll also get looks from several teams throughout the first round. But there's no way he slips past Detroit at No. 29. He's exactly what the Pistons are looking for -- a skilled big man who can rebound and defend.

The skinny: Of Boston's big three, Ray Allen looks like the one who could use the most help. Chris Douglas-Roberts can step in from day one and become an important player off the bench. His ability to shoot and score would be a big help.

Re: chad Ford Mock Draft v. 7.0

I really don't think Chad Ford has any idea what the Pacers will do. He was reporting the Toronto trade dead on Monday morning.

There's no way Bayless falls to 12. If he does, our phone will be off the hook with trade offers.

I think there's a pretty good chance that someone falls into our laps that is too good to pass up (B. Lopez, Bayless, Gordon, etc.). I also think that if Love falls to #9, we've got to get him. I'd give up both picks for Love. It also looks like Joe Alexander will be around at #11. If Love is on the board at #8, maybe we can swing a deal with the Bucks.

If you watched the NBA TV draft preview show (which was about 1000% better than ESPN's) you would have seen Jonathan Givony from Draft Express talking about how both Darrell Arthur and Brandon Rush had great workouts in Indiana and how either one of them could be the pick if Augustin were off the board. I think getting Ford takes Augustin off the board. Remember two years ago when Bird had Shawne Williams and James White in a workout together and fell in love with both guys?

I'd be happy, but not surprised, to see us take Rush at 11 and try to grab Arthur at 17. If Arthur's not there, we can get Speights or Thompson or Hibbert or Koufos or Ajinca or R. Lopez or Jordan or McGee. Of those 9 guys (including Arthur), I bet at least 5 will be available at 17.

Last edited by OakMoses; 06-26-2008 at 10:21 AM.
Reason: Added stuff I forgot to mention